Composition 2: Another Rule, Framing

I am not very keen on the idea of rules in a creative subject like photography, kind of strangles the idea. So from here on, I will refer to any such things as guides. And this guide is about ‘Framing’, framing a subject or object within a photograph.

So what is framing? Quite simply looking for a visual object around the subject like a frame.

We could break up framing into lots of different types but at the end of the day, it is still framing the subject or subjects. There are millions of example photos showing framing, I would suggest looking at loads of example framed photos then just playing and see what happens with the outcome of your photos.

Using a frame can:

Give the image a nice feeling of depth

Draw the eyes of the viewer to a particular point in the photo

Bring a sense of organization to the image

Add some context to a photograph

Add to our repertoire of composition techniques

Here is a little bunch of photos using framing:

Photography and framing using a doorway

Photography and framing using a window

Photography and framing using trees

Photography and framing using an archway

As well as the examples above, we can just about frame with anything, such as shadows, lying on a bed (the bed is a rectangle), looking through a hole in the trees, the center of a flower, the list is endless. Combined with other ideas of composition we can produce a greater variety of photos.

I love when a photograph is taken in a natural frame, it can add so much depth. When I’m out and about, snapping away, I like to look for lines and “frames”. Your photos are fabulous, really lovely composition.